Emergency coupling for railway cars



Dec. 20, 1927. 1 1,653,433

P. L. HUDGINS EMERGENCY COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Feb. 17, 1927 Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATRICK LEE HUDGINS, OF DECATUR, GEORGIA.

EMERGENCY QOIJ'PLING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Application filed February 17, 1927. Serial No. 169,027.

My present invention relates to-improvements in emergency coupling for railway cars and consists in providing a quick attachable and detachable arrangementv by.

which, when one part of the coupling breaks on one car, the connection between two adjacent cars of the train may be quickly, se-

curely and safely reestablished.

My invention will be more clearly under- !0 stood after reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 shows the portions of two cars in which the draw-head of one car is in position and the draw-head and draw-bar of the other car have been entirely torn away, showing the two cars coupled together by my improved emergency coupling arrangement. V

Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1, but shows one of the draw-heads broken and shows the two draw-bars connected together by two of the emergency couplings hereinafter described.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation showing one of the emergency couplings attached to the draw-bar with the draw-head broken off.

Figure 4 shows a sectional view along line 4t-'l of Figure 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a detail view, showing the mode of connecting the sister-hooks of the 5 emergency coupling to the draw-bar or other part of the framework of a car.

A and A represent two cars, the car A having its draw-bar B intact and with its coupling pin G in place; and D-represents a chain having the hook E at one end and the other end bifurcated as at D and D the end links (1 and d being connected to the arms 7 and f of the hook members F and F of the sister-hook arrangement F. The two members F and F are pivoted toether as at G, and have their arms f and f Faring outwards, as shown in Figures 4 and 5; so that the tension on the chain D will tend to keep the members F and F in gripping relation with each other. In order to lock these arms in the closed relation when the tension on the chain D is released, I provide a collar H which slips up over these flaring arms f and f and locks them in position, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. But

this collar maybe slipped down towards the pivot G, as shown in Figure 5, thus permitting the members F and F 2 to be swung to the disengaging or releasing position shown in Figure 5. 1 Inuse, assuming that one draw-bar is entirely torn away from the car A in Figure 1, the sister-hook arrangement F engages any part of the framework of the car, such,

for instance, as the beam I, in Figure 1. In

gency coupling arrangements in use; while in Figure 2 I have shown two of these, one for each draw-bar, the sister-hooks F in each case being secured behind the draw-head B and the hook in such case being fastened to one of the links of the opposite chain.

In Figures 3 and 4 I have shown one of the emergency couplings as attached to the draw-bar B or other part of the car, to which the coupling is to be attached and with the collar H in the locking position, and with the hook E hanging down.

In Figure 5, I'have shown the parts of the emergency coupling in the position for slipping over or being released from the draw-bar B or other part of the framework of the car to which the emergency coupling is to be attached.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the herein described emergency coupling may be quickly applied to connect one car to another when any injury of the coupler of either car, or when either coupler is entirely torn away, as sometimes occurs in practice.

' While I have described and shown one embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious that various changes may be made in the construction, combination and arran ement of parts which could be used without eparting from the spirit of my invention, and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details, except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by'Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An emergency coupling for use with railway cars, comprising a chain provided with an attaching device at one end and having the other end bifurcated,- sister-hooks pivoted together and having arms flaring outward at one side of the pivot engaging the bifurcated end of said chain, and engaging arms at the opposite side of said pivot,

2. An emergency coupling for use with railway cars, comprising a chain provided with an attaching device at one end and having the other. end bifurcated, sister-hooks pivoted together and having arms flaring outward at one side of the pivot engaging the bifurcated end of said chain, said sisterhook-s being provided with oppositely disposed engaging arms at the opposite side of said pivot, and a sliding collar'engaging said flared arms, for locking same in the holding position or releasing same, when desired.

3. An emergency coupling for use with railway cars, comprising a chain having a hook at one end and having the other end bifurcated, sister-hooks pivoted together and in the holding position or releasing same,

when desired.

PATRICK LEE HUDGINS. 

